Aurora is planning to build a bike path that will cross the railroad tracks at South Edgelawn Drive and connect to the Virgil Gilman Nature Trail.
The Aurora City Council on Tuesday passed various measures connected with the project, including a contract for the final phase of engineering. Construction on the project isn’t expected to start until fall 2026, according to Aurora Public Works Director Jason Bauer.
The 190-foot-long path is planned for the east side of Edgelawn Drive where the road crosses the BNSF railroad tracks, which is near the “smart neighborhood” by Nicor Gas and Habitat for Humanity that is currently under construction, Aurora University’s Spartan Athletic Park and the Aurora Country Club.
Bauer told The Beacon-News that the project is important because it continues to build the city’s bicycle network. Railroad crossings are a major barrier to access, and since there is currently no bicycle or pedestrian crossing over the tracks, this project will be removing a hazard, he said.
Because of that, the project was selected for federal funding, so the city only needs to put in 10% of the total cost, according to Bauer. He said the project’s construction and construction engineering is expected to cost nearly $560,000, but the cost to the city will only be around $56,000.
The bike path is expected to connect at the Virgil Gilman Nature Trail to the north and on the road’s paved shoulder at the entrance of a commercial driveway to the south.
The eight-foot-wide path is planned to have some parts on-street and others off-street, plus include a gate and flashers at the railroad crossing, a staff report included online with the Aurora City Council meeting’s agenda showed.
At the meeting on Tuesday, City Council approved a nearly $30,000 contract with Baxter and Woodman, Inc. for the project’s phase three engineering. Agreements with the Fox Valley Park District to connect the path to the district-owned Virgil Gilman Nature Trail, with Aurora Township for a detour during construction and with BNSF Railway Company for maintenance and construction of the crossing were also approved at the meeting.
Aurora is looking to buy an easement from BNSF for $11,000 to build the path, which was the final item related to the project approved at the City Council meeting Tuesday. Certification of the land acquisition, Bauer said, may cause some delays in getting the project out to bid.
A similar path that would also cross railroad tracks, but is in an earlier stage of planning, is set to connect Aurora’s far East Side to Wolf’s Crossing Park in Naperville. That project is being spearheaded by the Will County Forest Preserve District, as it runs across multiple jurisdictions.
Earlier this year, the Aurora City Council approved a new biking plan that recommends nearly 135 miles of new bike infrastructure along with 279 miles of new sidewalks. A key project in the plan is a proposed connection between the Virgil Gilman Trail and Waubonsee Creek Trail.
rsmith@chicagotribune.com